Finding Science Articles
This is an alphabetical list of specialized library databases with articles from magazines and academic journals in various science disciplines.
- Applied Science & Technology Full Text (HW Wilson) This link opens in a new window
Journals from professional and technical societies, specialized subject magazines, directories and conference proceedings in all applied science fields.
EBSCOhost database collection. Part of OmniFile.
- Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (HW Wilson) This link opens in a new windowJournal collection on agriculture, atmospheric science, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, botany, chemistry, environmental science, geology, marine biology microbiology, and physics
EBSCOhost database collection. Part of OmniFile
- Environmental Studies and Policy (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new windowJournals, magazines, and reference sources on environmental issues and policies. Diverse perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policymakers, and corporate interests.
NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee
Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
- General Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new windowJournals and magazines on astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, conservation, health & medicine, oceanography, physics, and zoology topics
EBSCOhost database collection. Part of OmniFIle
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new windowScholarly, government and general-interest sources covering the connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology. Open access.
- Science (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new windowJournals and magazines covering the latest scientific developments in the biological sciences, computing, engineering, and technology fields.
NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee
Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Mulit-subject Databases
Articles on science topics can also be found in the multi-subject databases JSTOR and ProQuest Research Library.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJournals archive: Arts & Sciences I, II, III, IV, V, VII, XI and the Life Sciences collections. eBooks: Open Books Access collection
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowGeneral interest periodical database. Journals available.
How to Read a Scientific Paper
1. Skim
- Get the "big picture" by reading the title, keywords, and abstract carefully. These will give you the major findings and why they matter.
- Scan the article without taking notes; focus on headings and subheadings
- Note the publishing date
- Note any terms and parts you don't understand for further reading
2. Re-Read
Read the article again, asking yourself the following questions:
- What problem is the study trying to solve?
- Are the findings well-supported by evidence?
- Are the findings unique and supported by other work in the field?
- What was the sample size? Is it representative of the larger population?
3. Interpret
- Examine graphs and tables carefully
- Use the captions to help interpret the data
- Look for key issues and new findings in the Discussion and Results sections
- Make sure you have identified the main points
4. Summarize
- Take notes; it improves reading comprehension and can help you paraphrase sources
- Highlight key points and words
Source:
Other Research Tools
These additional resources are not full-text resources, but they are useful for finding articles. Not in full-text? Check Pioneer Search before proceeding to the library's free Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services for acquiring full-text articles and books.
- Google ScholarWhen using Google Scholar from off-campus, configure its results to link to Vol State Library's full text collections.
**Choose the Gear Settings Icon at the top of the Google Scholar search screen.
**Select Library Links from the left-side options menu.
**Enter "Volunteer State Community College" into the search box; then select the Magnifying Glass Icon.
**Check the box for the Volunteer State listing (as well as "Open WorldCat") and then Save. - PubMed CentralPubMed Central® (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM)
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL) ServicesThigpen Library provides access to resources that are not available from its existing collections by obtaining them from other libraries. This is a FREE service!
ILL is an invaluable tool to fulfill full-text resource needs. It's quicker than you might think: but do plan ahead as it does require turnaround time. Typically, 1-5 business days for delivery of articles (sent via email PDF); 2 weeks for books (more if the title isn't held by many libraries).
Need help? Questions?
Ask a Librarian when you need research assistance or help using library resources.